Google Announces Project Ara Conferences for Developers

Remember that whole thing with Google and Motorola? Do you also remember that when Google sold off Motorola to Lenovo for $2.9 billion, they decided to keep certain parts of the company? Mainly they decided to keep the Advanced Technology sector of Motorola. Well since then, there hasn’t been any word on what Google plans to do with that sector, until now. Google has announced a series of conferences called Ara Developers Conference.

Google is using these conferences to start working with Project Ara, which is Google’s take on a modular device. The first conference will take place via live stream with a Q&Q to follow, in April 2014. Though it is going to be opened to a select few to make an appearance at the conference in person. The first conference will physically take place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

The conferences will show plans for the future of Project Ara, and give developers the necessary information to develop their own modules. This will come in the form of the very first, Ara Module Developers Kit. Google hopes this will help move along the development of Project Ara, and will also be hosting challenges for developers, complete with prizes.

Project Ara originated from within Motorola’s Advanced Technology sector, which was assumed to be the reason Google wanted to hold onto this part. Though, with little word after the sale of Motorola, everyone thought Project Ara wasn’t high on the priority list for Google. Recent events show otherwise, it seems as though Google is excited to get the project moving, and to allow consumers a whole new level of customization with their devices. If for some reason you don’t know anything about Project Ara, it will present consumers with a device that has interchangeable features. Cameras, batteries, storage and almost every aspect of a device will be customizable. Simply change the part out with different colored or design parts, and the device will be essentially designed by you, the consumer.

The exact dates of the three conferences are April 15-16th 2014, online via live streaming. More information is coming in the weeks leading up to the event. Google also plans on releasing the Project Ara Module Developers Kit online for free, so if you feel you don’t need the conference, keep your eye open for that as well.

Tell us, what would you like to see come from this project, and do you think module devices are the future of smartphones, or just a phase we will be going through?